


Body

by MeansToOffend (goodmorning)



Series: Pick Me Up [20]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 2017-2018 NHL Season, Colorado Avalanche, M/M, POV Outsider, Pick-Up Lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 05:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14465586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodmorning/pseuds/MeansToOffend
Summary: "Nate is never doing anyone a favour again."





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Transcript: Avalanche PR video, March 29, 2018.

\--

Host: So, it’s time again for “Three Questions”! This time we’re here with your very own Nathan MacKinnon, who is currently _on fire,_ seriously, this guy has been scoring goals like it’s his job!

Nate: Haha, thanks.

Host: Ready for Three Questions?

Nate: Does that count as one?

Host: Nope, sorry.

[Pause.]

Host: Alright, first up is a tough one - what went wrong last year?

Nate: Well, it wasn’t really any one thing, you know? Losing EJ and Varly was hard, and of course we were learning a whole new system, and in the meantime Dutchy was waiting to be traded. And then the losing started getting to us, and the tension started spreading off-ice, you know?

\--

Nate never thought he’d be glaring at his captain when he made the NHL - aren’t they supposed to be, like, actual responsible adults? - but here he is, because Tys is moping at his side, and Gabe is across the bar, perfectly framed in one of the few decently-lit spots in the place. Nate is pretty sure he does it on purpose, that he likes the way people look at him with his hair flaming perfect gold, the way they react when their gaze travels to his face, his body, and- yeah, he definitely does it on purpose, because he always fucking winks at them, and that’s hard to see in the dark.

So Gabe knows he’s beautiful; that’s not why Tys is moping. Or maybe it sort of is, because Gabe is using his attractiveness to pick up a guy, and that’s what has Tys upset. It’s not because he’s homophobic - he’d come out to Nate as “I have no idea what I am, but not straight” after about a month of friendship - or disillusioned - Gabe is fairly shameless in his dick-chasing endeavours, and they all know it. No, Tys is leaning on Nate and sighing every other minute because Gabe has a type, and recently it’s been veering closer and closer to “guys who look a lot like Tys.” 

This one is a little shorter and a lot slimmer, but the hair and the eyes seem about right, and Tys lets out another sigh as Gabe leans in to murmur something in the guy’s ear. Nate pats him on the back, kind of; the angle is a little awkward, but he tries, anyway, and that’s the most important thing.

“It’s just not fair,” Tys says from somewhere near Nate’s shoulder as Gabe leaves, lookalike in tow.

There are a lot of things Nate could say back, pithy, encouraging, or anywhere in between. “No,” he says, instead of any of them, “I guess it’s not.”

\--

Host: You know, you make a good point. I don’t think anyone realised how much was going on. Which leads to our next question - what kinds of things did you guys do to try to fix it?

Nate: Well, besides getting the system locked down and getting healthy, we mostly talked a lot, tried to do some team bonding exercises and stuff. We really wanted to get back to being a team again, that was the most important thing.

\--

Nate’s never been the smartest guy in any room, but he’s usually pretty good at feelings. Back in high school, when they’d taken the career aptitude test, Nate had taken it seriously, because he had no idea what he’d do if hockey didn’t work out, and was pretty sure he needed a backup plan besides “firefighter” just in case. The career counsellor had taken one look at his results and told him his emotional intelligence was high, had he considered psychology or maybe social work? He hadn’t, but it had become his backup plan all the same.

Now, Nate’s living Plan A, for which he’s certainly thankful. But he’s glad the thought had been in his head once, because apparently, hockey players require way more peer counselling than any teenager.

Of course, staying unbiased might be the hardest part for Nate here: Gabe is his captain and friend, yes, but Tys is his best bro on the team. Besides that, Gabe is the one being an asshole here, even if he doesn’t know he’s rubbing Tys’ nose in it. Nate hopes this is what’s happening, anyway, because if Gabe’s doing it on purpose then Nate kind of hates him, and that’s not great for team chemistry.

Still, someone has to fix this before Tys spills his lovesick guts all over Sakic’s office, before Gabe says or does something they’ll all regret, and Nate, for better or worse, is the only one Tys has confided in with this, the only one who’s really in a position to do something. It could be worse, he guesses; it could be Josty or Rants, with all their relative youths, instead of Nate and his experience with people. He guesses the team is lucky.

Nate doesn’t feel lucky. Nate feels a little put-upon. But he sucks it up and invites them to lunch with him, in his too-large, too-empty house. The food is the least of his worries: Nate can’t make anything fancy, but he can boil water and follow directions, and nobody hates pasta. Mostly, what’s occupying his mind is how he’s going to broach the subject, or what the subject even is, come to think of it.

Gabe is his usual self when he comes in the door, all noise and distraction. Nate can never really tell what Gabe is feeling, but he’s pretty sure the loudness is meant to cover insecurity. Tys, on the other hand, he can read like a book. He feels a little guilty every time Tys shoots him another confused, worried look. This has to be done, though, for the good of the team, and Nate refuses to feel bad about being the one who has to do it.

He puts down his fork, turning to Gabe, who smiles his blank and perfect smile, raising an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to stop picking up in front of the team,” says Nate, and Gabe’s blank and perfect smile freezes on his face.

“Oh? Why is that?” he asks. He’s still smiling but now Nate can read the anger pouring off him.

“Because it’s upsetting Tys,” says Nate. He doesn’t have to look to know Tys is bright pink in embarrassment and fury. So he has them both mad at him now, as planned. “And the two of you need to talk it out,” he finishes, turning back to his pasta, carefully not watching them watch each other.

“You should have told me it bothered you,” Gabe says, so quietly that Nate almost looks up in shock. “I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”

“You don’t,” Tys says, equally quiet, and suddenly Nate feels like he’s intruding on a private conversation, one he shouldn’t interrupt by moving. “You make me jealous,” Tys finishes, finally. Out of the corner of his eye, Nate sees Gabe’s poker face shatter into pure shock.

“What?”

Tys takes a deep breath, audible in the stillness of Nate’s breakfast nook. “I see you with these guys that look like me, and all I can think is - if _I_ told you that you had a nice body, would you hold it against _me?_ ”

“Whenever you want,” Gabe says, a little feverishly, and Nate takes that as his cue to leave.

\--

Host: Repairing your team bond sounds like a great step. Was there anything during the season that contributed to the team’s improvement?

Nate: Well, when Dutchy left, I had this feeling like I had to be the offense.

Host: Just you?

Nate: Well, Rants and Kerfy are so young, you know? And Landy had a lot of captain stuff going on. Anyway, I felt like I _could_ be the whole offense, like I could kind of make things work my way.

Host: Your way or the highway, huh?

Nate: I mean, it’s not that extreme. I’m just good at adjusting my style, helping the team work together and stuff, I guess.

\--

Nate is never doing anyone a favour again, he decides, with Tys quietly raging on the other end of the phone.

“Tys,” Nate says, trying to interrupt. “ _Tys_ ,” he says, more firmly, when it doesn’t work the first time.

“ _What, Nate?_ ” Tys whisper-shouts into the phone.

Nate sighs. “Tys, I appreciate that you’re having difficulties, but I don’t think telling me is going to help you much.”

Silence, long enough that Nate checks whether they’re still connected.

“Are you at home?” Tys asks, suddenly.

“...Yes?”

“Stay there, I’m coming over,” Tys says, and hangs up.

“Oh, no worries, come on by,” Nate half-snarls into his phone. It relieves his feelings, just a little.

It turns out that “I’m coming over” means “I’m bringing Gabe and we’re going to hash out this fight right in front of you.” Nate is _never doing anyone a favour again._

He sits them down at the breakfast table, getting a variety of Gatorades from the fridge. When he returns, they’re sitting just like he left them, silently pouting, Gabe glaring at Tys and Tys refusing to look at Gabe. Nate is suddenly torn between annoyance and laughter. He schools his face into something resembling “serious” instead, setting the bottles on the table.

“So,” he says after a minute or two. “What’s the problem, exactly?”

Gabe takes a breath, but Tys speaks first, with surprising vehemence. “Well, Gabriel _Bighead_ here thinks I only like him for his body, that I don’t love him, that my feelings are some kind of joke to be laughed at.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Gabe says, and stops, pressing his lips together like he hadn’t intended to say so much.

“What did you mean, then?” Nate asks, unscrewing the top of a bottle at random and taking a long sip.

“Just- isn’t it a little soon? And then I thought- what do I really offer, besides looks?”

“Is it too soon, though?” Nate asks. “You’ve been pining forever, and you loved each other as teammates and friends before that, even.”

“Gabe, you’re super fucking funny,” Tys says, “and romantic and smart and you care so much. You don’t need to look like a god for me to love you.”

“But I do look like a god, right?” Gabe asks, preening a little, and Tys snorts at him, shaking his head with a tiny smile. “Seriously, though, Tys, you’re so sweet, so driven, so good at everything you try. You deserve so much better than me.”

“Hang on,” Nate says, “that doesn’t make sense.”

“What?” Gabe asks. Tys smiles like he gets it.

“Well, you’re saying he deserves better than you, but he _wants_ you, and what’s better than Tys getting what he wants?” Tys gives him a high-five, looking expectantly at Gabe.

“Alright,” he says, “I think I have to admit that I was wrong. Sorry, T-Bear.” And Tys leaps out of his chair to hug him.

“What, no ‘Sorry, Nate’?” Nate asks, looking pointedly away from them.

“Sorry, Nate,” Gabe says.

“Thanks, Nate,” Tys adds, fistbumping him, and the two of them leave hand in hand. Nate watches them go before returning the untouched Gatorades to the fridge.

The house feels quieter than it had before they came over. Nate is suddenly tired, somehow.

With a yawn and a stretch, he makes his way to his bedroom, and starts his pregame nap just a little earlier than usual.

\--

Host: Well, whatever it was, it definitely worked! The Avs look to be in very soft hands, with you leading the way.

Nate: I do my best.

Host: Anything else you want to say, while we have you here?

Nate: Uh… well, it’s an honour and a privilege to play on this team and with these guys, and I really can’t wait to see what we can do next season.

Host: Nicely said. Well, that’s all for today! Join us on Saturday for Three Questions with Jonathan Bernier!

**Author's Note:**

> \- I'm really not sure if I was kitschy and awkward enough in the interview sections, haha thanks.  
> \- "Three Questions" isn't real afaik, sorry.  
> \- The first couple narrative sections are from last season or preseason or October; the last one is closer to midseason.


End file.
